Violet carpenter bee (male)

Description:

Big solitary black bee with violet wings, one of the largest in Europe. There are two similar looking species, Xylocopa violacea and Xylocopa valga. Male of X. violacea is easily identified because of the orange coloured rings near the end of its antennas. Carpenter bees nest in wood (hence their name from the Greek ξυλοκόπος=lumberjack). They are not aggressive at all.

Habitat:

Urban, near park